Singapore Slingers vs Bolts

Lim Shengyu will suit up for the Slingers in 2012. He is one of six locals who has been offered contracts. (Photo © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)

Monday, December 12, 2011 — Six local boys have snagged professional contracts with the Singapore Slingers for the upcoming third season of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).

Ng Hanbin, 22, Delvin Goh, 16, and Steven Khoo, 26, join the trio of Desmond Oh, 25, Wong Wei Long, 23, and Lim Shengyu, 21, who were first confirmed in November.

The inclusion of Delvin Goh marks a remarkable journey from school athlete to professional ranks for the Unity Secondary student who also went to the SEA Games as part of the Singapore national squad. He will also be the youngest professional in the ABL. However, it is unlikely that he will see much playing time at centre, a position that is usually dominated by the imports in the ABL.

Desmond Oh, Wong Wei Long and Steven Khoo are entering their third ABL season while Shengyu and Hanbin made their Slinger debuts in 2011.

The Slingers are still to fill two remaining local spots on the roster. Centre Pathman Matialakan, who was in the Slinger squad for the first two seasons, has not been confirmed.

Hong Weijian, who had an excellent first ABL season for the Slingers, is not in the frame for selection. After the first ABL season, he suffered an ACL tear and knee fracture in April 2010 while playing in the Singapore National Basketball League. However, his recovery did not go as well as hoped and he is now out of the professional basketball scene.

The Slingers have also signed up American imports Donald Little and Louis Graham while Filipino Donald Dulay will fill one of their two ASEAN slots. The Slingers are still in negotiation with another ASEAN player.

Each ABL team can have up to three international and two ASEAN imports but Slingers general manager Michael Johnson confirmed that he will stick with just four imports to ensure that one local will always be in the starting five.

The Slingers did not pick Filipino Al Vergara for the upcoming season. Vergara, who was their starting point guard during the last two seasons, has since signed to play for the Philippine Patriots for season three.

Three new teams are joining the ABL in 2012 — Saigon Heat, Bangkok Cobras and San Miguel Beermen. The Brunei Barracudas pulled out after two seasons but the Malaysia Dragons (formerly known as KL Dragons), Philippine Patriots, Indonesia Warriors (formerly Satria Muda BritAma) and defending champions Thailand Slammers are back.

The Slingers will tip off against the Indonesia Warriors on January 15th at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

For full fixtures, go to: 2012 ASEAN Basketball League Fixtures